The Venezuelan polka is a hall dance that has its origin in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 at the beginning of the 19th century and arrived to Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

 in the middle of that century.

Polka has not been recognized like a Venezuelan sort, but many composers have loaded it with Venezuelan characteristics. The bands that consolidated the polka at the end of the 19th century occupied to integrate in their repertoire these compositions, guaranteeing the life of the polka in the country.

For the time that arrived the polka to Venezuela, the hall dances constituted the most important entertainments for the ladies of the high society, which was organized by musical turns that were made up generally of waltzes

Venezuelan waltz

- History :Between the hall dances that arrived to Venezuela during the 19th century, waltz has been the one of greater root and dispersion. Waltz consists of a musical expression derived from an Austrian popular dance, the ländler...

, polka, danzas and other pieces like mazurca, were executed with a rhythmical character different from the European dances. In these hall dances although occur at the time that the social structure of the colony was conserved, attenuated the differences between white people, creole people and afro-Venezuelan people. These last ones accompanied the ladies to the dance, observing their steps and later practicing them. This attitude has been one of the reasons of the incorporation of polka and other sorts to the popular tradition.

Popular polka

The popular polka is cultivated fundamentally in center the west and the Andes, making it present in the instrumental ambient of popular dances and many traditional celebrations throughout Venezuela. In Lara

Lara (state)

Lara State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barquisimeto.Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,795,100.- Municipalities and municipal seats :...

, in the popular dances, is interpreted with violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

s, cuatros

Cuatro (instrument)

The cuatro is any of several Latin American instruments of the guitar or lute family. The cuatro is smaller than a guitar. Cuatro means four in Spanish, although current instruments may have more than four strings....

, guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

s and tambora

Drum

The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...

, alternating itself with waltzes

Venezuelan waltz

- History :Between the hall dances that arrived to Venezuela during the 19th century, waltz has been the one of greater root and dispersion. Waltz consists of a musical expression derived from an Austrian popular dance, the ländler...

, merengues

Venezuelan merengue

The word merengue designates a musical form extended through all the Caribbean. The first occurrences of merengue in print in Venezuela are from scores of “dance merengue” of the second-half of the 19th century . As a dance craze, merengue acquired popularity in Caracas during the 1920s. It is...

 and joropo

Joropo

The Joropo is a musical style resembling the waltz, and an accompanying dance, having African and European influences originated in Venezuela and performed in Colombia and Venezuela. It's a fundamental genre belonging to its typical music or música criolla...

. In the Barinas state

Barinas (state)

Barinas State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barinas. Current President Hugo Chávez was born in this state...

 polka is the musical expression that accompanies the devils of Corpus Christi, that on June 24 and July 5 dance around a tape wood of which they tile and they unravel. In the Sucre state polka animates the Diversion oriental that treats about social problems or of well-known health problems like the Mosquito patas blancas.

In the states Trujillo

Trujillo (state)

Trujillo State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its capital is Trujillo. The state is divided into 20 municipalities and 93 parishes. Trujillo State covers a total surface area of 7,400 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 711,400....

 and Táchira

Táchira (state)

Táchira State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is San Cristóbal.Táchira State covers a total surface area of 11,100 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,177,300....

, polka remains as form of dance in the Pato Bombeao and the dance of the dwarves and the Muñeca de la Calenda of the Trujillo state, the personages dance one polka that is interpreted by violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

s, mandolin

Mandolin

A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...

, Tambourine

Tambourine

The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....

, maracas, cuatro

Cuatro (instrument)

The cuatro is any of several Latin American instruments of the guitar or lute family. The cuatro is smaller than a guitar. Cuatro means four in Spanish, although current instruments may have more than four strings....

 and tambora

Drum

The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...

. And in the states Apure

Apure

Apure State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial authorities. In 1824 the Department of Apure was created, under...

 and Bolívar

Bolívar (state)

Bolívar State , is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital city is Ciudad Bolívar. Bolívar State covers a total surface area of 238,000 km² and in June 30, 2010 had an estimated population of 1,620,359....

a dance that is known as the Paloteo is animated with the interpretation of the polka.